Archive for January 2012

It may not be the WRC but MINI has recorded it’s first FIA sanctioned rally win in over four decades with a win at the Qatar International Rally this past weekend. Adbulaziz Al-Kuwari piloted the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman S2000 to a outright victory by over two minutes. A huge MotoringFile congrats to the team!

Official Release: Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari left the opposition in his wake on his first outing with his new MINI John Cooper Works S2000. The man from Qatar claimed overall victory at the Qatar International Rally. continued →

Good news for grassroots MINI racing fans. GRAND AM has announced upcoming dates for the 2012 racing season that include Spec-B racing events. With a Spec-B MINI race car available right “out of the box” so to speak, we’re hoping to see lots of MINIs out on the track at these events (full list after the break). continued →

Kindchenschema. It’s a German word, but the idea is universal. Humans are intrinsically attracted to small things with large features — like a puppy or a baby. These things disarm us and give us a warm, happy feeling. According to the MINI Design team, it’s this idea that’s behind the design of the MINI, and perhaps never better exemplified than with the MINI Roadster.

However, it’s not just the puppy dog looks that attract me to the Roadster. To me it’s summed up neatly by one word: simplicity. From the moment I walked up to the Roadster, that was my first reaction. The look is easy to wrap your head around. Step into the familiar cabin, flip down the top and just toss it over your head. There is no pretense. There is no step two. This is a car that strips away the unessential and gives you the most pure experience possible.

We’ve just stepped out of the new MINI Roadster and have lots to tell you about. But as we head to dinner and gather our thoughts a bit more, why not check out our day in Portugal with the new MINI soft-top. The full gallery is after the break. continued →

Many of you will receive this information in an email from MINI over the next few hours, but we’ve got the word early thanks to MINI and White Roof Radio. This year’s installment of MINI’s epic road trip, MINI Takes The States, will take place over 11 days starting on Independence Day. continued →

Sources at Car and Driver are saying that MINI chief and former BMW M division boss, Dr. Kay Segler, has very real aspirations to finally turn the John Cooper Works into the stand-alone, performance skunkworks that frankly, we’ve always wanted it to be. We’ve heard this from MINI before, but with Dr. Kay at the helm, will the dream finally come true? What could this mean for future JCW MINI models? Details after the break. continued →

Recently my wife and I left the Twin Cities for the fine city of Chicago. Involved in that move was packing up my R53 and my wife’s Honda CRV with all the things that weren’t going with the movers. Seats folded down, we all know how spacious the MINI can be. Even laden down with our TV and other miscellanea, the car was still fun to drive. The 400 mile trip passed easily in my R53, but sadly, it would be nearly a month before I got behind the wheel of my favorite car again. continued →

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